Why the number of fires in the Amazon is terrifying climate experts

The blazes may be the first step in a hellish downward spiral.

Image source: Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty
  • Never before has so much of the Amazon rainforest been on fire.
  • The fires are largely set by humans clearing areas for development.
  • The fires may push us into a vicious, irreversible climate pattern.
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Can Giving Ayahuasca to Prisoners Reduce Recidivism?

The Brazilian government has been trying to answer this very question in its ever-growing prison population, which has doubled since the year 2000. 

The Brazilian prison population has doubled since 2000. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Fish Skin Bandages: The Latest Product of Medical Desperation

In a world driven by technological progress, many impoverished communities are bucking the trend by successfully turning to "low-tech" and unorthodox treatments.

A closeup of fish scales. ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP/Getty Images.

Tucked away in northeast Brazil's seaside city of Fortaleza, an unusual medical advancement has been discovered. As reported by STAT, researchers and physicians based out of the region's burn center, the José Frota Institute, have begun testing the use of fish skin as dressings for patients suffering from second- and third-degree burns.

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fish skin Brazil burns tilapia medicine medical treatment Jose Frota Institute leech therapy maggot therapy ancient medicine